Episode 9

The terms intuitive and empathic are often used interchangeably, even though they are very different abilities that just happen to complement each other.

Being intuitive and/or empathic is a style of knowledge that works in combination with other types of  information and insight you gather throughout your  daily life. This means you can experience intuition and empathy on an emotional and physical level in a very real way, no matter who you are. It can also be easy to confuse the two terms  if you are new to a mindfulness path or have more than one kind of awareness.

So what IS the difference between being intuitive and being empathic?

During this episode of Flirting with Enlightenment, we open up the conversation about these two abilities and share insights on how to tune into yourself more clearly to trust in the information you are getting.

Here are some basics to get you started:

Intuition is a general capability every person has but isn’t necessarily open to accepting about themselves or tuning into throughout the day. It’s not about telling the future – but it is about tuning into your true self and following your “gut” instincts. As children we are very open and intuitive in this way and then eventually learn to shut it down in order to focus more on mental-based activities. People who have a highly developed intuitive ability can also be clairvoyant or psychic.

On the other hand, being empathic is the ability to understand or relate to another person as if you were “in their shoes”. You can do this mentally and emotionally. When you take empathic ability up a notch and self-identify as an empath, you can feel the emotional states of another person or experience what they are feeling first hand as if they were your own emotions. In other words, you can become clairsentient.

What do you think the difference is between being intuitive and empathic? How do you experience these qualities in your life?

Listen to the podcast to hear what we think and some of our personal experiences with intuition and empathy. Add your thoughts and the comments here on the blog!

Interested in reading more this topic? Check out our episode on Simple Tips for Connecting with you Brand of Inner Guidance. Like the Flirting with Enlightenment podcast? Rate or review us on iTunes! We deeply appreciate it!